Four derelict buildings that Irish councils asked to CPO in July

Four derelict buildings that Irish councils asked to CPO in July - including one in Rathfarnham

Four councils applied to the commission to CPO properties in July.

BOARDED-UP HOUSES AND crumbling buildings are a common feature of towns and cities across Ireland.

Derelict buildings contribute significantly to Ireland’s housing crisis, and bringing them back into use is one of the government’s strategies for addressing social housing shortfalls and getting more homes on the market.

Last month, the compulsory purchase order (CPO) process was used via An Coimisiún Pleanála for five properties.

Under laws introduced in 1990, every local council keeps a Derelict Sites Register to encourage owners to bring vacant houses and land into use through the imposition of an annual levy of 7% of the property’s market value, which applies until the site is no longer derelict.

When someone objects to a local authority’s attempt to obtain a property via the CPO process, the council can apply to An Coimisiún Pleanála to do so.

The Housing Act also allows local authorities to acquire vacant homes via CPO, which they must also apply to do via the commission.

The process is similar to making a standard planning application, and the board weighs up submissions from the council and the owner of the land before deciding whether a site can be subject to a CPO.

The number of properties that councils try to CPO via the commission every month is usually relatively small.

It is worth noting, however, that Ireland’s councils successfully CPO other properties without having to go to the commission, which helps bring derelict properties back into use.

The Journal reported in March that local authorities acquired a total of 99 properties via Compulsory Purchase Orders last year.

We have also been keeping track of the vacant and derelict properties that councils have applied to the commission to acquire via CPO since April last year.

This list shows the total number of applications made to An Coimisiún Pleanála by councils to CPO derelict properties since our series began in 2025:

In total, five councils applied to the commission in July to CPO four properties between them.

6 Barton Road West, Rathfarnham (South Dublin)

Screenshot 2026-08-17 152835 6 Barton Road West in Rathfarnham Google Street View Google Street View

On 21 July, South Dublin County Council submitted an application to CPO a property located at 6 Barton Road West in Rathfarnham.

The semi-detached house has been listed on the council’s derelict sites register since 2023, and is valued at €500,000 by the council.

The local authority also says the house is unoccupied, and has named the legal representatives of a woman called Mary Conlon as its owner.

The case is due to be decided by the commission by 15 December.

1 St Finian’s Terrace, Dillonsland, Navan (Meath)

Screenshot 2026-08-17 155525 1 St Finian's Terrace in Dillonsland, Navan Google Street View Google Street View

Meath County Council applied to the commission to CPO an end-of-terrace house at 1 St Finian’s Terrace in Dillonsland in Navan on 24 July.

The property has been on the council’s derelict sites register since 2021, and Google Street View images show it has been in a state of disrepair since at least 2014.

The house is beside the former St Finian’s seminary study hall and St Patrick’s classical school, and the council also plans to redevelop that site to create a county archive and community hub.

No value has been placed on the property, and there is not much other information available about it online.

However, records show that initial objections to the CPO have been withdrawn, suggesting that the house may soon be acquired by the council.

Magheross, Riverside Road, Carrickmacross (Monaghan)

Also on 24 July, Monaghan County Council submitted an application to CPO an unfinished apartment block at Maheross on Riversdale Road in Carrickmacross.

The site was added to the council’s derelict sites register in 2025, and is valued at €230,000 by the council – though it was not possible to find the specific location on a map, as no Eircode is listed by the council and no image could be found as a result.

The case is due to be decided by 4 January next year.

38 Curragh Plains, Kildare town (Kildare)

Screenshot 2026-08-17 165649 38 Curragh Plains in Kildare town

Kildare County Council also applied to the commission on 24 July to CPO a property located at 38 Curragh Plains in Kildare town.

The semi-detached house was placed on the council’s derelict sites register last November, and the council first moved to CPO it in April of this year.

No value has been placed on the house by the council, nor has any owner been listed either on the register or in CPO files.

The case is due to be decided by 23 December.